Rotary engine.



-No- 877,733. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908.

' C. R. REID.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED 001'. 22, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908.

C. R. REID. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 22 1907 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 877,733. PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908.

G. R. REID.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 22, 1997.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

-M i/IIIIII/l/I lu u CHARLES RUFUS REID, OF HEIDELBERG, MISSISSIPPI.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1908.

Application filed October 22.1907- Serial No. 398.627-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES RUrUs REID, a citizen of the United States, residing at Heidelberg, in the county of Jasper and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Rotary Steam-Engine, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

- This inventlon relates to rotary engines,

and has for its principal object to provide a novel form of enginein which the steam or other agent used for motive power may be employed with the utmost economy and efiiciency.

A further object of the invention is to construct a machine of this type which may be readily reversed and in which the quantity of steam or other fluid employed may be accurately adjusted either manually or automatically in accordance with the speed and load.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of cylinder and cylinder packing arranged in such manner as to prevent leakage without however exercising undue frictional resistance to the movement of the piston.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of packing for the piston wing or wings for preventing any leakage of steam beyond the wings while in operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved means for actuating the valves and the cylinder abutments.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of con struction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a rotary engine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view through one of the valve chests. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through a portion of one of the valve chests. Fig. 5 is a similar view through a portion of the main steam chest. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the reversinglever and its connections.

' Fig. 7 is a detail perspective operating rod connections. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one of the movable piston wings, detached.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawlngs.

The base or sole plate 10 of the engine may be of any desired shape and size in accordance with the character of work which the engine is to perform, and, in the present instance, is shown in the form of an approximately rectangular frame that is provided with bearings 11 for the reception of the shaft 12, and said shaft is further provided with a central bearing 13 formed on across bar extending across and carried by the central portion of the base.

The shaft may be connectedto the mechanism to be driven in any suitable manner, but preferably is extended at both ends'to points beyond the bed plate, and is provided with pulleys of different size from which power may be transmitted.

Secured to the shaft are two pistons 14 and 15, each having a pair of diametrically opposed wings 16, the piston and wings being of precisely the same construction, but the wing of one piston being disposed in a plane at a right angle to those of the other piston, so that there isalways live steam pressure on at least one of the wings, and power is, therefore, constantly exerted on the main shaft.

The pistons 14 and 15 are disposed, re spectively, in cylinders 18, 19, these cylinders being of like construction and each being provided with a pair of laterally extended horizontal ears 20 which rest on the base and are confined in lace by straps 21. Each cylinder is formed of two sections 23, 24, the section 23 comprising one of the heads, and the outer circular ring of the cylinder, while the section 24 is in the form of a removable head, and between this head and the other section of the cylinder is arranged a packing ring 25 in order to prevent the escape of steam. The two parts of eachcylinder are held in place by bolts 26 or similar securing members, and the central portion of each head is perforated to form a circular opening 28 of much greater diameter than that of the shaft.

The pistons and cylinders are concentric and each side of each piston is provided with view of the valve 3 vertical partition 42.

i is parallel with that of the shaft.

a cylindrical hub extension 29 passing through the opening 28, a narrow annular space being left between the periphery of the hub extension and the Wall of the open ing. In this annular space is placed a packing ring 30 that is held in place by an annu lar gland ring 31 that is secured in place by bolts 32, the bolts passing through the outer flange of the gland ring, so that the latter may be adjusted for the purpose of compressing the packing to any desired extent. This packing will prevent any leakage of steam around the central portion of the cylinder, and at the same time presents a relatively small friction surface to the piston. I

Each of the piston wings 1.6 is provided with a slot 34 that extends on a line radiating from the axis of the shaft 12, the slot being preferably cut down from the outermost edge of the wing to a point in alinement with the periphery of the hub extensions. Extending across this slot is a rectangular bar 35 having an opening for the passage of a helical compression spring, the axis of which Mounted in the slot are two overlapping blades 37 which are notched at their inner edges for the reception of the bar 35, and which are pressed outward into engagement with the cylinder heads by means of a spring 36. The inner ends of theseblades are further engaged by a pair of helical compression springs 38 that are seated against the bottom Wall of the slot 34. These springs serve to force the blades outward into engagement with the inner circular wall of the cylinder, so that a steam tight joint is formed all around the piston wing and the passage of the steam or other actuating fluid is prevented. Arranged above each of the cylinders is a double steam chest divided into two separate compartments 40 and 41 by a centrally disposed This partition is provided with a vertical opening of rectangular form in cross section for the reception of a vertically movable abutment 43, the lower end of which extends into the cylinder and the cylinder heads are provided with radial grooves to receive the edges of such abutment and hold the same from movement under the action of the steam. The upper end of the abutment is turned outward to form an arm 45 that passes through the bifurcated upper end of a rod 46, said rod being preferably of non-circular form in cross section and being guided by an opening in the cover 47 of the steam chest and by an auxiliary guard plate 48 that is secured to the outer wall of the chest. The lower end of the rod 46 is provided with a rojecting pin or roller 49 that enters a cam sllot 50 formed m a disk 51 that is rigidly secured to the shaft 12, and which is preferably, also, secured to the adjacent piston as by bolts 52. The cam slot 50 is for the most part circular in form, and is provided with two rises corresponding to the two piston wings, so that during rotation of the cam, the abutment will be moved out twice during each revolution of the cam and piston, and each time will be lifted over the projecting piston wing, and then moved down back to the wing until its inner edge engages against the periphery of the piston body. To provide some slight freedom of movement, and in order to hold the inner end of the abutment down into engagement with the piston periphery, a leaf spring 52 is introduced between the upper edge of the arm 45 and the transverse bolt or bar 53 that is carried by the upper portion of the rod 46. V j

, Leakage of steam around the abutment is guarded against by a packing ring 55, and gland 56, the latter being secured to the top or cover 47 of the steam chest in such man ner as to compress the packing and hold the same tightly against the abutment, so that the steam or other actuating fluid can not escape.

cylinder is a port 60 which opens into the cylinder at one side of the abutment, and leading from the chest 41 is a similar port 61 that o ens into the cylinder at the opposite side of the abutment. It is obvious that both of these ports cannot be utilized at the same time, and provision is made, as will be hereinafter described, for cutting off the supply of steam to one or other of the chests in accordance with the direction in which the engine is to rotate.

\ The entrance ends of the ports 60 and 61 are in the outer vertical walls of the chests and are under the control of a pair of valves 63. These valves are carried by pins 64 that project through vertical slots formed in the wall of the chest, the slots being permanently covered by the valves in order to prevent leakage of steam. The outer ends of these pins are secured. to vertical rods or bars 65 that are disposed in parallel relation, and the upper ends of these bars or rods are turned outward, forming arms 66 that are adjustably secured by nuts 67 to the upper threaded ends of a pair of rods 68. The lower ends of these rods 68 are secured together by a cross bar 70 that is guided by the plates 48 and from this cross bar 70 projects a pin or anti-friction roller 71 that fits in a cam groove 72 in the disk 51. This groove is of such shape as to open and close the valves at proper intervals, and while both valves are opened, steam passes only from that chest which is in communication with the main supply, the exhaust steam escaping through a port 74 at the bottom of the cylinder, and said port being connected, if necessary, to an exhaust pipe which may lead off to some suitable point of discharge.

The main steam pipe 80, which may be Leading from the steam chest 40 to the supplied with a suitable throttle valve unyieldable packing ring disposed in the annuder the control of any ordinary form of govlar space formed between each hub extension ernor, leads to a mam steam chest 81, in which are two valves 82, designed to control two ports 83 and 84 that lead to the chests 40, 41 by one of the cylinders, and it will be noted that the two chests 40 are in communication through pipes 85, while the chests 41 are in communication through pipes 86. These valves are carried by pins 88 projecting through vertical slots the main chest, and said pins are carried by vertically guided arms 89 which are engaged by the opposite ends of a lever 90 that is pivoted on a pin 91. These arms are connected to a lever 92 which may be moved for the purpose of shifting the valve so as to allow the steam to flow from the main chest to the two auxiliary chests 40, or to the two auxiliary chests 41, so that the engine may be made to rotate in either direction.

In operation, the steam is admitted to either the port 60 or the port 61 between the piston wing and the abutment and operates to drive the piston wing away from the abutment, thus transmitting rotative movement to the piston and the shaft. The piston is rotated through approximately a half-revolution and the steam finally escapes at the bottom of the cylinder. The positive driving action is assured by locating the piston wings of one piston at a right angle to those of the other, so that driving movement is always being imparted to the shaft, no mat ter what the position of the wings may be. At the end of each half revolution, the abutment is raised until the piston wing has passed the vertical plane of the abutment, and then is lowered into engagement with the periphery of said piston.

It is obvious that the engine may be placed under control of any suitable form of governor to provide for variation in the speed and load.

I claim:-

1. In a rotary engine, a cylinder, a piston arranged therein and provided with a projecting wing, a shaft carrying said piston, a double groove cam disk carried by the shaft, an abutment, a double steam chest, means for controlling the supply of steam to said chest, ports leading from the chests to the cylinder and opening respectively on opposite sides of the abutment, a pair of valves controlling the ports, valve rods, a block connecting said valve rods and provided with a projection entering one of the cam grooves, and an abutment actuating rod having a member entering the other cam groove.

2. In a rotary engine, a cylinder having enlarged openings in its opposite heads, a piston arranged within the cylinder and provided with circular hub extensions, projecting through and beyond said openings, a

in the end walls of I and the adjacent wall of the opening, a gland ring bearing on the packing ring and hav ing an annular flange at a point outside the cylinder, and securing bolts extending through such flange for adjustingthe degree of pressure on the packing ring.

3. In a rotary engine, a frame, a pair of cylinders, lugs extending from the cylinders and resting on the frame, straps extending across said lugs and confining the cylinders in place, a shaft extending through the cylinders, a pair of pistons mounted on the shafts and provided with wings, the wings of one piston being disposed at a right angle to those of the other piston, a pair of steam chests for each cylinder, ports leading from the chests to the cylinders,'a main supply chest having ported communication with the cylinder chest, a pair of valves arranged in the supply chest and controlling the flow of steam therefrom, valves controlling the flow of steam from the cylinder chests to the cylinders, means for actuating said valves, and cam actuated abutments working in each of the cylinders.

4. In a rotary engine, a cylinder, a piston, a shaft carrying the piston, a cam disk on the shaft, a movable abutment extending outside the cylinder and provided with a later ally projected arm, an abutment operating rod having at one end a projection engaging the cam disk, and bifurcated at its opposite end to receive the abutment arm, a bolt extending across the bifurcated portion of the rod above the arm, and a spring interposed between the bolt and the outer side of the arm to hold the abutment yieldably against the piston.

5. In a rotary engine, a cylinder, a piston arranged therein and provided with a projecting wing, the wing being radially slotted and provided with a cross bar extending across the slot, the cross bar having a transversely extending opening, a pair of overlapping blades arranged in the slot and hav ing their inner edges recessed to receive the bar, a spring extending through the opening and tending to force the blades laterally against the heads of the cylinder, and springs seated in the bottom of the slot and tending to thrust the plates outward into engagement with the circular inner wall of the cylinder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES RUFUS REID. 

